Information Regarding 3rd Quarter Learning Model
Eagle Nation,
A reminder regarding our Learning Model for NEXT WEEK.
- All students will transition to a hybrid model of learning beginning January 11th, with the exception of PreK who will see students every day due to their smaller class sizes.
We will then carefully monitor data and staffing to continue to make decisions that allow us to keep our school community safe while finding ways to instruct our students in-person as much as possible.
A reminder that families can always log in to their parent portal account and check to see if their child is an A or a B day student for the hybrid model. If you need assistance, please contact your child's school office.
We are excited to announce that we will be officially starting COVID-19 Antigen testing for district staff and students next week using the Abbott BinaxNow rapid antigen tests in the Bethalto School District. Results from these tests are available in approximately 15 minutes, which could help students and teachers return to the classroom much sooner as well as help us isolate positive cases quickly. This particular test is a minimally invasive nasal swab that will be administered by a school district registered nurse or our athletic trainer, who has also been trained on this testing.
When a parent or guardian is contacted by a school nurse that their child is symptomatic at school and needs to be picked up per our safety protocols, these families may now have the option of scheduling an appointment for a test (depending on the severity of the symptoms). Depending on the specifics for your child, a negative test result may mean your child can return to school upon experiencing improvement with symptoms and are fever-free for 24 hours if experiencing a fever. There may also be times that our staff will ask for you to take your child for a full PCR test, if the symptoms are severe, even if the result of our Antigen test is negative.
A positive test result means your child may return to school when 10 days have passed since the onset of symptoms, are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, any respiratory symptoms (if any) have improved, and an official release has been received from the Madison County Health Dept. These are the same protocols we have followed since school started in September. All test results will be reported to the Illinois Department of Health within 24 hours of the test being administered.
Parents who wish for their children to be eligible to participate must provide written consent for their children unless a child is 18 years of age. The consent form is on our website and attached below. Parents will also be asked to give verbal consent again when scheduling the appointment and when they arrive at our testing site.
Testing will take place at the Bethalto School District Central Office, 101 School Street, on the East side of the building. Please note that you will not enter our circle drive and go through our main entrance. Instead turn right off of School Street at the signs pointing to the Technology Center and BEA Credit Union, park by one of the cones on the side of our building, and wait in your car. We will come to you. Please arrive on time for your appointment.
The use of these tests is optional. The school district will honor results from any qualified test to determine a reentry date for a student or employee who has been symptomatic at school.
The District is only authorized to provide testing for students and employees of the District and can’t provide testing for others.
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Remote Learning Days Instead of Snow Days
Families who need school meals on these days will be asked to contact our Central Office to request meals and we will have food available there for families.
Bethalto Community Unit District #8
